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While building a winning DFS lineup filled with cheap running backs would give you elite bragging rights, it’s also makes actually winning pretty tough. The top running backs are expensive for a reason: they get you points no matter what. And since that’s what a winning DFS lineup needs, you gotta at least put some of your budget in that direction.
It is important to make sure the expensive back you spend your budget on shows up and gives you all the points you need. Here are three backs, all priced over $6,000, who are set to have big weekends and will give you strong return on your investment. Values from DraftKings.
Saquon Barkley (vs Packers) - $7,400
It’s been a pretty off and on season for Barkley up to this point. He’s had three games scoring over 20 fantasy points but has also put forward three single digit games this season. This week Barkley is 100% worth rostering as he faces off against the Packers run defense that’s allowing the third most fantasy points to running backs the last four weeks. He also is averaging over 19 fantasy points at home this season so I’m expecting him to return to the Saquon Barkley we all know and love this week.
Josh Jacobs (@ Chiefs) - $6,900
No team in the NFL is giving up more points to running backs than Kansas City, giving up over 30 points per game to the position. Jacobs certainly has the talent to take advantage of the situation and I would expect him to see a big workload as that has been the strategy in beating the Chiefs: run the ball a lot and keep their offense off the field. In three of his last four games, Jacobs has scored at least 17.4 points and I would expect another similarly high scoring output this week.
Todd Gurley (@ Cardinals) - $6,500
Gurley has been hard to trust this season. He’s had a few great games and a few terrible ones. Granted, it seems the whole Rams offense has become untrustworthy which doesn’t still a lot of confidence in someone who has become more or less an afterthought on the team. However, ignore all that negativity and trust with me this week as Gurley has a great matchup against the Cardinals who are allowing the sixth most points to backs the last four weeks. The Rams offense has looked it’s best when Gurley is the driving force of the offense and as this is a must win divisional game, I’m predicting Sean McVay is going to give Gurley the workload to ensure the victory.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is petermcdrogers) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.